Gladys Rivera-Perez, a 59-year-old Hispanic woman, was killed on June 28, 2024, on the 3400 block of Crystal Street in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. She was sitting on her porch when gunfire from an altercation between a group of teenage girls on nearby Tampa Street prompted her to retreat into her home. A gunman who had arrived in a white vehicle fired two shots into the residence; one struck Rivera-Perez in the back as she tried to reach the second floor and exited through her chest and shoulder. She was taken by private vehicle to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and pronounced dead at 1:44 p.m. that day.

Police traced the vehicle to an address on the 1300 block of St. Vincent Street, where a barricade situation led to the vehicle owner being located and questioned before being released pending the investigation. The suspect is described as a 39-year-old Hispanic man, stocky build, long beard, wearing a red shirt and dark baseball cap. The suspect had not been apprehended and the investigation was ongoing.

Rivera-Perez is remembered in the community for her warmth, generosity and devotion to family. If anyone has information about the shooting or the suspect’s whereabouts, please contact the Philadelphia police.